Friday, January 11, 2019

CONGRATULATIONS BEN AND LOUANN WILLIAMS: 2019 FLORIDA LAND STEWARDS OF THE YEAR!

Florida Land Steward of the Year Award
2019

Ben and Louann Williams

Wetland Preserve LLC, Putnam County, FL

By Joe Vaughn, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, andJeremy Olson, St. Johns River Water Management District

Louann and Ben Williams,

2019 Florida Land Stewards of the Year

photo by Karen Parker

Ben and
Louann Williams have owned and managed the Wetland Preserve LLC since
2008.This 3,725-acre property in Putnam
County is composed of mesic flatwoods, bottomland forest, floodplain swamp, and
sandhill.It is adjacent to the Rice
Creek Conservation Area which is owned by the St. Johns River Water Management
District.Numerous seepage streams
originate along the western ridge of this property and flow eastward into Rice
Creek, a tributary of the St. Johns River.The property’s inclusion in Florida Forever’s Etoniah/Cross Florida
Greenway project area, as well as the North Florida Land Trust’s Ocala to Osceola
(O2O) Conservation Corridor, demonstrates its regional significance.Recognizing the land’s ecological importance,
Ben and Louann are working with the North Florida Land Trust to actively pursue
a conservation easement through the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program
to protect the property from future development.

Thinned slash pine, photo by Karen Parker

When the
Williams purchased the land, most of the upland areas were heavily planted in
slash and loblolly pine.Under the
Williams’ management, there has been a gradual conversion to longleaf pine in
appropriate areas during routine silvicultural operations.Several of the slash and loblolly stands have
been thinned from a basal area of 130 square feet per acre down to 55 square
feet per acre. This reduction of the
pine canopy allows more sunlight to reach the forest floor, stimulating the
critically important native groundcover, an essential habitat for many wildlife
species. In addition, hardwood
encroachment on the sandhill has been addressed using a specific herbicide that
targets woody species while preserving native groundcover.Introduction
of prescribed fire, plus aggressive programs to control feral hogs and invasive
plant species, has further benefitted the natural communities and timber stands.

Ben and
Louann have received assistance from the FWC, St Johns River WMD, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, Florida Forest Service and the Natural Resources Conservation
Service and, in turn, have reciprocated by hosting landowner tours and participating
in numerous outreach events.Ben, Louann,
and their daughter Ashley continue the outreach through their agritourism
business, Custom River Excursions and Wetland Preserve LLC, and by hosting many
field tours of their property for various civic organizations interested in
wildlife and timber management. Ashley
has offered wildlife educational opportunities to local students by bringing
reptile and amphibian specimens to schools, allowing the students to get up
close to nature while learning to appreciate our native wildlife. The family
also has been interviewed many times by the media and other organizations, and
in every interview their love and respect for the land comes through loud and
clear.

A very rare sighting of the rusty red salamander(Psuedotriton montanus floridanus), photo by Jonathan Mays

Ben and
Louann are keen observers of the wildlife and plants that depend on their
preserve, and their management takes the needs of these species into account.
The last time an FWC Landowner Assistance Program biologist was on the
preserve, Louann apologized for their “overgrown” forest roads, stating “The
turkey hens and their poults really use these roads for foraging (bugging
habitat) during spring and we would hate to take that away from them, so we mow
later in the year.”The ability to
understand animal behavior, and the willingness to accommodate it in their
management decisions, speaks to the admirable land ethic this family possesses.The Williams family’s desire to better understand their land and
increase scientific knowledge of wildlife is also demonstrated by
graciously allowing the FWC’s research staff to conduct surveys for uncommon,
threatened or endangered species on their property over the last several years,
providing critical population and location data on declining species.

Louann and daughter Ashley on a prescribed burn,

photo by Joe Vaughn

Not only has
stewardship of this ecologically important property greatly improved the timber
resources, wildlife habitat, and water quality of Putnam County and the
surrounding region,Ben, Louann and Ashley
are also involved in multiple conservation endeavors.They have been instrumental in developing the
North Florida Prescribed Burn Association (PBA), Florida’s first landowner-led
prescribed fire cooperative, organized to increase safe private land burning
through training, experience, and networking.They are dedicating much effort to expanding this concept in Florida by
initiating and then taking a leadership role in the formation of this PBA and
promoting this concept at landowner outreach events.They also participate annually in the Florida
Department of Agricultural and Consumer Services Operation Outdoor Freedom,
where wounded veterans are given guided hunting opportunities on public and
private properties.

Their forest
management is certified sustainable by the American Tree Farm System, and they are enrolled and certified in the Forest Stewardship Program.They participate in the FWC’s Black Bear
Stakeholder Group for their region.Ben
also represents the private sector on the Oyster Water Quality Task Force for
the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve.And last, but not least, is their willingness
to provide access to the Florida Trail through their property.These are just some of the ways the William’s
family highlights the critical role that private landowners play in the
preservation of Florida’s natural resources and economy.